Rare Bible manuscrips on display

JERUSALEM (AP) - Bible manuscripts originating in the Jewishcommunity of Damascus, Syria, have gone on display for severalhours in Jerusalem, offering a rare glimpse at a collection thatincludes books spirited to Israel before the ancient communitydisappeared at the end of the 20th century. The parchment manuscripts are held at Israel's national library. Ranging from 700 to 1,000 years old and written in the MiddleEast and Europe, they include meticulous Hebrew penmanship andillustrations in ink and gold leaf. They are known collectively as the Damascus Crowns, "crown"being a Hebrew term sometimes used to describe particularlyimportant and venerable biblical manuscripts. Until Wednesday, most of the collection had been displayed justonce before, more than a decade ago.